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The term game might have one more meaning than yourealize. You are familiar with one kind, games that run oncomputers? They are set in eras from prehistoric and Roman timesup to the present, and into various wonderful and depressingfuture worlds. There are also games in the physical world,played with pens and paper and imagination which involve thecharacters doing things in the virtual world of the Internet.Players, and the referee, sit with pen and paper pretending tobe using computers. Instead of clicking a mouse to make acomputer barbarian use his sword, these gamers roll dice to havetheir character 'Google' their enemy's name, or hack into theircomputer. Yes, this seem ludicrous even to me, and I've done it.Remember, paper-and-pen role-playing games have evolved sincetheir invention, just like personal computers and computergames. So, while the popular media is portraying the equivalentof 'Pong', gamers are playing the pen-and-paper equivalent ofMyst or Dark Age of Camelot.

One of the better game systems in my opinion is The StorytellerSystem from White Wolf Game Studios. Mostly set in modern times,they feature werewolves called Glasswalkers who are proud ofbeing hi-tech and fond of mobile phones and personal organizers.Another game, Mage the Ascension, features a group called theVirtual Adepts who try to help humanity and change the world forthe better using computers and the Internet: Just like somepeople in the 'real world'. I'm sure Virtual Adepts would lovethe idea of giving African children wind-up laptops.

But



remember, Mage is ABOUT computers, not ON computer. Playersand the referee just pretend to be using the Internet, usingdice and imagination. Of course like the rest of the world, Mageexists in the virtual world too. The storyteller games, andWhite Wolf, have websites devoted to them, both official andfan-based. There is a remarkable amount of good informationabout Mage available online. So, you'll find websites about howto pretend to surf the Internet, or create a website using apen, paper, dice and your imagination. Or buy printed booksonline to help you play your Virtual Adept's online adventures.You can also probably buy the same books in PDF format. This isuseful if you use your laptop instead of pen and paper, as myfriend Jess does. I'm amused to imagine someone using theirlaptop to play Dark Age of Camelot, swinging swords in acomputer generated world, while waiting for their fellow Mageplayers to arrive at their house. Then, when their friends'physically' arrive, logging off and using their and ahandful of dice to pretend to surf the web as a virtual adept.

About the author: By Allan T. Price http:// www.m6.net Allan T. Price is acreative writer working at M6.Net: 'The web-hosting company forhumans.' M6.Net is working hard to help humanity experience thepower and freedom to develop their own part of the Internet, toshare their information and connect with anyone, anywhere,anytime

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